Ideological orientations and affective polarization within partisan camps: evidence from South Korea

Why do citizens with similar partisan attachments differ in how sharply they affectively differentiate between their party and its rival? This study examines whether right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO) help explain variation in affective polarization in South Korea. Building on political science research on partisan identity and ideological conflict, it argues that these orientations condition how citizens experience partisan competition across group lines. Using survey data from South Korea’s 2022 presidential election and 2024 legislative election, the analysis shows that higher RWA is associated with greater affective polarization among conservative partisans, whereas higher SDO is associated with lower affective polarization among liberal partisans. These relationships persist after accounting for partisan identity and ideological distance. The findings suggest that affective polarization is shaped not only by partisan alignment but also by individual-level orientations towards authority, threat, and hierarchy.